Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG Tablet Review
For the original German review, see here.
Asus' Fonepad 7 FE375CG is located somewhere between two categories because Asus unites a tablet and smartphone in one device. The now third model generation has received good equipment to reap in a decent score in both genres. The latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat runs the mid-range model, and content is displayed on an IPS touchscreen with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. An energy-efficient Intel Atom Z3560 quad-core SoC with a clock rate of 1.83 GHz and integrated PowerVR G6430 graphics chip alongside 1 GB of RAM provides enough power. Models with either 8 GB or 16 GB of flash storage that can be expanded up to 64 GB via a micro-SD card are available. Furthermore, a phone module with dual-SIM support is installed into the Fonepad 7 FE375CG.
The review sample competes against HP's Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab, Asus' Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C, and Acer's Iconia Tab 8 A1-840FHD in the 200 Euros (~$254) price range. The precursor Asus Fonepad 7 ME372CG from the same company is also an affordable alternative.
Case
The casing of Asus' Fonepad 7 FE375CG is comprised of matte-white polycarbonate. The tablet is also available in black, red and gold. Although the matte plastic on the back is not grooved, the review sample provides a very good grip and is also fingerprint resistant. The Fonepad 7 is not exactly compact for a phablet with a thickness of 9.8 mm and a weight of 299 grams, but it is quite lean for a 7-inch tablet as can be seen when compared directly with the competition. The build is good and the device exhibits evenly spaced gaps. The review sample also proved rigid even under strong pressure, and it barely warped or produced cracking noises. The SIM and micro-SD flap on the side were a bit unstable, and thus they should be opened with caution.
Connectivity
Asus installs an energy-efficient quad-core SoC from Intel in its Fonepad 7 FE375CG. Intel's Atom Z3560 clocks with up to 1.83 GHz (burst) and integrates a PowerVR G6430 graphics unit alongside a dual-channel LPDDR3-1600 memory controller with 1 GB of RAM. The internal flash storage has a capacity of 16 GB, of which 11 GB is available for use. It can be expanded up to 64 GB via a micro-SD card. Asus additionally offers 5 GB of storage in its proprietary Webstorage Space. The App2SD feature is not available for most applications. Both micro-SIM slots support 3G/UMTS, but LTE was not integrated. Naturally, a micro-USB 2.0 and a 3.5 mm jack are also installed. The power and volume buttons function reliably and can be reached comfortably with one hand. Unfortunately, their positioning on the far lower part of the casing's rounded edge is not ideal and makes using them when the device is placed on a table impossible.
Software
The latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system is installed, which Asus modifies with Asus ZenUI. It highly facilitates intricate actions, and ensures an intuitive use: Starting with the home screen with the most important information, over easy and quick accessing of frequently used functions such as Wi-Fi and GPS settings, Bluetooth or energy settings, up to intelligent applications like a cross-platform messenger app or a clearly arranged storage manager. Asus additionally preloads a few useful apps, such as Google Chrome, Amazon Kindle, Facebook and the usual Google package. Annoying bloatware is kept within tolerable limits.
Communication & GPS
The review sample provides Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 for local wireless data transmission. Mobile browsing is ensured in a sufficient speed via UMTS/3G. The Wi-Fi reception is good; Asus' Fonepad 7 FE375CG set up a stable connection to the router even through several walls and a distance of 10 meters in the test. Flexible use on the go is possible with quad-band GSM (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz) and the dual-SIM feature. Additionally, UMTS quad-band (850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz) in the HSPA+ network standard with a bandwidth of 42 Mbps in downlink and 5.76 Mbps in uplink are installed. The A-GPS module also functioned reliably and quickly connected to several satellites as can be seen in the test performed with the GPS Test app. Asus' Fonepad 7 scored quite well in our navigation comparison using the Garmin Edge 500, although it took "shortcuts" in difficult parts like through the woods or curvy sections.
Telephony & Speech Quality
The phone app has also been modified subtly and scores with its good multi-SIM support. The user can choose among multiple settings for each SIM card. For example, private and business calls can be assigned to either one of the two cards or to use an additional, less expensive data plan. We can classify the in-call voice and audio quality as good to very good after the practical test. The contact also heard us perfectly loud and clear. The hands-free feature is loud enough to make calls even in busy environments.
Cameras & Multimedia
Asus' Fonepad 7 FE735CG features a 5.0-megapixel primary camera with auto-focus alongside a 2 MP webcam. The rear-facing camera shoots good pictures with sufficient focus and natural color reproduction when the object is well illuminated; there is relatively little image noise. Unfortunately, an LED flash is not installed. The front-facing camera disappoints with grainy pictures and a poor color reproduction despite its fairly high resolution. This particularly becomes obvious in a direct comparison; the primary camera fares quite well here.
Accessories
Only the modular power supply besides a USB cable, quick-start guide and warranty card are included for Asus' Fonepad 7 FE375CG. Asus offers optional accessories like an Asus View Folio Cover protector with view on important information on the screen. It also has a stand function.
Warranty
Asus includes a 24-month warranty on the Fonepad 7 FE375CG.
Input Devices & Controls
Using the virtual keyboard is intuitive and reliable. The key field covers the screen to approximately one-third in portrait mode. The keys are big enough to type without errors. The visible field, unfortunately, shrinks evidently in landscape mode.
The capacitive multi-touchscreen functions reliably and accurately. Though the automatic screen rotation needs a moment when changing the view mode, it still seems fast enough.
Display
The 5-inch screen has an HD resolution of 1280x800 pixels, which is on par with the contenders. Only Acer's Iconia Tab 8 A1-840FHD has a Full HD resolution. The image convinces with high sharpness and crisp colors. The average brightness of 352.6 cd/m² is at the front in the field of contenders, and only Asus' Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C is marginally brighter. A maximum of 376 cd/m² is also a top rate in comparison.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 376 cd/m²
Contrast: 616:1 (Black: 0.61 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.67 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.92
ΔE Greyscale 3.48 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
Gamma: 2.3
The illumination of 66% is relatively homogeneous. Both the contrast of 616:1 and black level of 0.61 cd/m² are comparatively good although some contenders achieve a bit more.
Our assessments using the Color Management of CalMAN show a clear shift in red, but the DeltaE of 3.67 is very low. The color accuracy is generally quite decent. The grayscale only exhibits a minor yellowish cast in the brighter field. The low DeltaE of 3.48 and gamma of 2.3 confirm that. The average color temperature of 6910 K is close to the ideal value of 6500 K. The deficits are not visible in routine use; the screen's color reproduction is very good, particularly when considering the price.
The screen's maximum brightness of 376 cd/m² is sufficient for outdoor use, but the highly reflective glass pane counteracts that a bit. Unrestricted outdoor use is nevertheless possible when direct light incidence is avoided.
The screen has very stable viewing angles owing to IPS technology. Content first brightens up slightly in untypical, extremely acute viewing angles; color deviations stay within tolerable limits.
Performance
Asus installs a quad-core SoC from Intel dubbed Intel Atom Z3560 in its Fonepad 7 FE375CG. The chip clocks with up to 1.83 GHz, and the integrated PowerVR G6430 GPU takes care of graphics calculations. Both are supported by a 1 GB dual-channel LPDDR3-1600 working memory. The SoC in Asus' Fonepad 7 impresses with premium-range performance for a budget price. It runs current apps without problems.
Our synthetic benchmark tests confirm that. Asus' Fonepad 7 shows its strengths in most benchmarks and outperforms the competition. This is particularly evident in 3DMark 2013 where HP's Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab lags behind by as much as 87%. Acer's Iconia Tab 8 cannot keep up in the AnTuTu Benchmark v5. The review sample sometimes scores with twice the performance in Geekbench 3, and only Asus' Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C is on par. It looks similar in the PassMark Performance Test Mobile v1.
The AndroBench 3 storage test confirms that a very swift storage device is in the review sample. It surpasses the contenders in all exercises except for on one occasion in the 4 KB read test.
| 3DMark | |
| 1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value) | |
| Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG | |
| Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 8 | |
| HP Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab | |
| 1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value) | |
| Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG | |
| Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 8 | |
| HP Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab | |
| 1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value) | |
| Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG | |
| Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 8 | |
| HP Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab | |
| AnTuTu v5 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 8 | |
| Geekbench 3 | |
| 32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG | |
| Asus Fonepad ME372CG | |
| Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C | |
| HP Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab | |
| 32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG | |
| Asus Fonepad ME372CG | |
| Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C | |
| HP Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab | |
The browser-based benchmarks using the Android browser showed mixed results in the category comparison. The review sample still scored in Peacekeeper and WebXPRT 2013 and mostly outperformed its contenders. However, it had to let its rival pass in Mozilla Kraken 1.1 and SunSpider 1.0 and dropped behind. Only Asus' Fonepad 7 is consistently on par with Asus' Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C. We would recommend using a faster browser, such as the preloaded Google Chrome, in routine use for a dramatically better performance. Browsing with fast page setups is then subjectively really fun.
| Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG | |
| Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 8 | |
| HP Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value) | |
| Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG | |
| Asus Fonepad ME372CG | |
| Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 8 | |
| HP Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab | |
| Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG | |
| Asus Fonepad ME372CG | |
| Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 8 | |
| HP Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab | |
| Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value) | |
| Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG | |
| Asus Fonepad ME372CG | |
| Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 8 | |
| HP Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab | |
| WebXPRT 2013 - Overall (sort by value) | |
| Asus Fonepad 7 FE375CG | |
| Asus Fonepad ME372CG | |
| Asus Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 8 | |
* ... smaller is better
Games
The SoC's integrated PowerVR G6430 GPU comes from Imagination Technologies and offers a compelling 3D performance. Even high-requirement Android games, like Dead Trigger 2, run smoothly in high settings. The Epic Citadel graphics benchmark also shows an impressive performance. The controls using the touchscreen, position sensor and accelerometer convince with accurate and swift implementation. Full HD videos are no problem for the hardware either.
Emissions
Temperature
The surface temperatures in routine use never surpassed a tolerable level. An average of 30 °C was achieved in idle mode. We measured a maximum of 34.8 °C on the top side. The surfaces reached an average of 31.6 to 33.4 °C under permanent full load. The casing reached its maximum of 40.1 °C in a spot on the surface in the area of the SoC. The power supply heated up to a hot 46.8 °C during load and should thus definitely be positioned openly.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40.1 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 33.2 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.3 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
Speakers
The speaker is located on the front and produces a decent sound with a good maximum volume. As typical for the category, slight shortcomings, such as the underlying treble-heaviness, are noticed particularly in higher volumes. The 3.5 mm jack convinces with a low-noise sound and high maximum volume.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The power consumption of Asus' Fonepad 7 FE375CG proves to be quite low with idle rates from 0.7 to 2.4 watts and 5.6 watts during load. Only Asus' Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C consumes considerably less in the comparison group. Acer's Iconia Tab 8 has a significantly bigger power hunger.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle |  0.7 / 1.9 / 2.4 Watt |
| Load |
3.9 / 5.6 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Voltcraft VC 940 | |
Battery Runtime
Asus' Fonepad 7 FE375CG has a non-removable 15-watt battery and should achieve up to 690 hours of runtime according to the manufacturer. The energy-efficient SoC consumes relatively little, but the bright IPS screen demands a lot of power. Nevertheless, the review sample proved to be enduring in our runtime tests.
We recorded 4.5 hours during full load via the Stability Test app using maximum brightness. In comparison, the tablet is on par with its rivals, and only HP's Slate 7 6100en VoiceTab lags behind clearly. All contenders have almost the same battery capacity.
The practical browsing test via Wi-Fi using an adapted brightness of 70% (150 cd/m²) ran for 8.5 hours. The former Asus Fonepad ME372CG still comes closest to that with approximately 8 hours. Asus' Fonepad 7 achieves an impressive maximum of 15.5 hours using minimum screen brightness and disabled communication modules (Wi-Fi on) in energy-saving mode. Thus, the review sample outclasses all its rivals, who need an external power source much earlier. Only Asus' Fonepad ME372CG lasts longer here. This performance means a workday without recharging is easily possible with Asus' Fonepad 7.
Verdict
Asus offers a well-designed mid-range tablet with a very attractive value-for-money ratio with its Fonepad 7 FE375CG. The installed Intel Atom Z3560 quad-core SoC alongside the integrated PowerVR G6430 GPU results in a strong team with a very satisfying performance in apps, games and multimedia applications. The bright and viewing-angle stable IPS touchscreen with good color reproduction responds promptly to every input. That makes using Android 4.4.2 KitKat really fun. Beyond that, the decent Wi-Fi reception, well-implemented dual-SIM support, and stable quad-band UMTS/3G reliably establish contact with the outside world.
Admittedly, the buyer has to inevitably make minor compromises in this price range. The casing could be higher quality and more stylish, and it is made of plastic. The 7-inch screen has a sufficient resolution of 1280x800 pixels, but some contenders already use the Full HD resolution in this price range. It is still tolerable that the battery is non-removable especially seeing the long runtimes. We also like the solid, well-built chassis. Using the device for a whole workday is possible almost without restrictions. The good primary camera and the speaker's acceptable sound are also positives. That lets us forgive the Fonepad 7 for the webcam's below-average presentation. An unintelligible drawback: The rear-facing camera does not have an LED flash for illuminating dark objects.
Overall, we still come to a positive verdict because there are clearly more pros than cons, which makes Asus' Fonepad 7 FE375CG a good deal in the 200 Euros (~$254) price range.
